Hot Beautiful Weather
It is just beautiful in Tahoe
The Unofficial Alpine Meadows Ski Report
Produced by Andy Wertheim
Tahoe/Truckee Realtor
email: andyw@sierra.net
Our real estate website: www.tahoeriverfrontrealty.com
Hello skiers,
It is just beautiful in Tahoe. Maui was just as gorgeous with plenty of perfectly cut green grass, lots of colorful flowers, and chirping birds. Of course, the fish were plentiful, the ocean warm, the sand smooth and great for walking, and the golf frustrating. We had great meals, super views, a couple of wet walks in the rain forest to beautiful waterfalls, and an attempt to enter some lava tubes that turned out to be just to muddy and wet. Now, I am back in Tahoe faced with clear blue skies, and very warm daytime temperatures (in the 60's and 70's) along with warm overnight temperatures in the high thirties or low forties. The snow pack is slowly shrinking and natural earth is beginning to show at the lower elevations. I rode my bike yesterday for the first time in six months along the paved bike trail, and throughly enjoyed the quiet ride along the river. Ducks are swimming together in pairs sporting their bright spring colors. I heard that a number of people were riding off trial north of Truckee on the Emigrant Trail. I am hoping to give it a try this week. We rode to the lake and observed the high water that is almost at the rim. The lake was so smooth that I wished my kayak was in the water. It will be soon.
Alpine has closed everything except Summit Chair do to the ending of the season and the softness of the snow. I am not sure if Scott and Sherwood will operate again this season, but they might if the snow turns to corn. Anyway, the warm overnight temperatures left poorly groomed slopes (minimal amounts of grooming) that were uneven and littered with variable size snow balls. Off piste, the snow actually firmed up somewhat overnight leaving difficult skiing on rutted and/or mogul areas. We argued as to the rating the skiing should get early this morning. On a scale of 1 to 10 my friend voted for a 3 (because he just loves being outside), and I voted for a 2 (as I love being outside, but the skiing was too challenging off piste for the average skier). As the morning moved along the snow softened and the skiing improved a little. We found a rather smooth section of soft snow on The Face, and soft rutted snow in Wolverine Bowl that took all my concentration to complete from top to bottom. The soft snow on the groomed, Alpine Bowl, was actually pretty nice after a few skiers smoothed out the rough spots, and our last early morning run down Sunspot was acceptable, but nothing to write home about. All the hikes to High Traverse and Beaver and Estelle Bowls were closed as the snow was just too soft and deep mush. Alpine is now open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily.
Enjoy your day. Andy
